Spring catch



Aug. 13, 1940. H. H. RAYMOND SPRING CATCH Filed Jan. 7, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 Wu HOZPA CE H/PAYMOND Aug. 13, 1940. H. H. RAYMOND SPRING CATCH Filed Jan. 7, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 WM V1 0? HORACE H/ZPAYMOND Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNIT it;

STTES PA E SPRING CATCH Application January 7, 1937, Serial No. 119,443

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a spring catch and, more particularly, to a catch for securing pivoted windows, transoms, and other closures.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a simply and easily constructed spring catch of the character described having a minimum number of parts, most of which may be formed from sheet metal bent to shape and easily assembled without necessitating the use of screws and rivets as has frequently been the case in prior constructions. I

It is a further object of my invention to provide a spring catch which is easily operated and wherein the parts are prevented from rattling.

It is a further object to provide a cam operated spring catch so constructed that the extent of cam movement is limited and there is no tendency for the cam to exert excessive pressure tending to bend or break the catch.

Other objects and advantages will be evident as the description proceeds.

My invention resides in the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scopeof which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like parts are indicated by like numerals;

Figure l is a side elevation of my catch applied to a transome and securing it in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my catch;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through my invention taken substantially along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of my invention; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the disassembled parts located in assembling positions.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have shown my catch applied to a swinging closure such as a transom A mounted for opening and closing movement within a frame B, but it will be evident that the catch is applicable to any similar use. The catch embodies a main frame or casing It blanked out and bent to form from sheet metal and having parallel opposed side walls H and I2 interconnected by a top wall l3 and forming a longitudinal cavity it within which a latch bolt i5 is slidably mounted. The side walls at their lower forward ends are bent over outwardly substantially at right angles to form mounting flanges l6 having holes ll therethrough and adapted to receive securing means, such as screws l8, to fasten the catch assembly to member A. The rearward ends of walls I! and I2 have lugs l9 bent over towards each other in the general plane of flanges it to receive a plate supporting the latch bolt, as will be later described. Lugs It also provide additional supporting surface for the catch assembly if desired. Side walls II and i2, intermediate of lugs 5 l9 and flanges I6, are provided with correspondingly upwardly extending U-shaped grooves 2% within which an operating lever 2! is journalled, as will be later described.

Latch bolt I5 is preferably formed from a blanked out piece of sheet metal bent to provide opposed parallel side walls 23 extending at right angles to and interconnected by a top wall 2 which is bent over at its rearward end at right angles and between the side walls to form an end 15 Wall 25. The top wall is also bent over at its for ward end between the side Walls 23 to form a nose portion 2! tapering rearwardly from and forming an acute angle with the top wall, as illustrated. The forward ends of side walls 23 are also cut oif to a corresponding taper with nose 21, as shown in Fig. 5. The upper end of nose 21 is preferably rounded, as shown, to facilitate engagement and disengagement of the catch.

An angle plate 28 having a downwardly extending tongue 28' is rigidly secured within the rearward end of the latch bolt in any suitable manner, as, for example, by spot welding. A plate 30 bent'to form extends across the bottom of easing I0 and the rearward end of the latch 30 bolt, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This plate has a rearwardly extending reduced portion 3! received between walls H and I2 above lugs 59, and a forward portion 3| mounted on shoulders 32 of the respective walls II and it between grooves 35 20 and flanges [6, as shown in Figs. i and 5. Hence, it will be appreciated that portion 3i provides an outer closure for grooves 26. Side walls 23 of latch bolt iii are correspondingly cut away, as at 33, so that the top of the cutaway portion will lie above the upper rounded portion 28) of groove 20, and the forward ends of these cutaway portions are provided with stepped portions 33' so that plate 30 and the shaft portions of the operating lever will not limit the rearward extent of movement of the latch bolt.

Operating lever 2| may comprise a unitary preshaped member such as a casting or forging having a rectangular-shaped frame 3d provided with opposed side bars 34', top bar 35, and bottom bar 36, said bars being substantially rounded in cross section. A handle 3'! shaped as a loop projects upwardly from and at right angles to top bar 35. Intermediate of the ends of bottom bar (it is an upwardly projecting lug o1 rollback 39 hav-.

ill)

ing a rearwardly facing rounded cam portion 40. Side bars 34' are spaced apart sufficiently to straddle side walls H and 2. The lower bar 36 serves as a shaft received within grooves and journalled in the bottom portions 20 with the cam 40 received within the latch bolt against tongue 28'. Hence, it will be appreciated that a rearward movement of handle 3! will serve to withdraw the latch bolt into casing H).

A spring normally tends to shift the latch bolt to a latching position. The forward end of plate 30 is provided with an upwardly extending stepped portion 4| terminating in a foot 42 and received within the latch bolt forwardly of lug 39, as shown in Fig. 3. This stepped portion is of such length that foot 42 slidably bears against the inner top wall of the latch bolt and aids in supporting bolt l5 within the casing ID. A lug 43 formed of sheet metal is bent to be received within the nose portion of the latch bolt and is provided with a spring engaging wall 43' substantially disposed at right angles to side walls 23 and top wall 24 of the bolt. The upper end of wall 43' is bent over into a foot engageable with top wall 24 to aid in securing the lug in position. A coiled spring 44 is compressively received between wall 43 and stepped portion 4| of member 36 so that the latch bolt is always urged outwardly from casing l9 and into a latching position. To prevent the spring from slipping from operative position, wall 43 is preferably located slightly forwardly of the bent over edge of nose portion 21, as indicated in Fig. 3, and a lug 45, intermediate of stepped portion 4|, is struck out therefrom to be received within the end convolutions of the spring. It will be appreciated that spring 44, which secures member 30 in operative position, serves to hold the parts of my catch in assembled relation.

My invention may be quickly and easily assembled, and normally without the use of tools. I have found that the easiest mode of assembly is to hold the casing upside down with flanges l6 and lugs I9 uppermost and then insert the parts in their respective positions. Latch bolt I5 is first slidably inserted within casing l0 so that end wall substantially aligns with the end of the casing in the position shown in Fig. 3 with cutaway portions 33 registering with grooves 20. The operating lever is then applied over the rearward end of the casing and moved forwardly until bar 36 lies on shoulders 32 adjacent flanges IS. The bolt is then slid rearwardly until tongue 28 is located rearwardly of grooves 20 and beneath lugs I9. While the bolt is in this position, the operating lever is moved rearwardly seating the bar 36 in grooves 20 and locating cam 40 forwardly of tongue 28'. Plate is then moved into position with a combined rearward rocking and sliding movement by engaging reduced portion 3| beneath lugs l9 and seating forward portion 3| on shoulders 32 and in overlying engagement with the open ends of slots 20, thus securing the operating lever in its journalled position. Lug 43 is then inserted in nose 21, after which spring 44 is compressed into engagement with wall 43 and stepped portion 4|. It will be noted that this spring catch can be quickly and easily assembled by unskilled labor without the use of tools other than a pry, such as a screw driver, which might be needed in the event that spring 44 in some cases proves too stiff to be easily compressed into position.

As shown in Fig. 1, it will be noted that the rearward extent of withdrawal of the latch bolt from latched position is limited by the loop 31 engaging with a rearward end of the withdrawn latch bolt so that excessive leverage may not be applied against shoulder 28' by lug 39. Hence, the latch bolt cannot be wrecked by an excessively heavy downward pull on the operating handle during an opening movement of the transom. The forward movement of the latch, bolt I5 into operative position is similarly limited by loop 31 engaging the top of frame It], as shown in Fig. 1. It will thus be appreciated that spring 44 is always under compression and prevents rattling of parts within the catch.

In the operation of my device, nose portion 21 is adapted to be received within a suitable keeper which, in the present instance, is illustrated by a bent metal strip 46 secured to casing B and having a latch bolt receiving slot 46 therethrough. When it is desired to open transom A, a downward pull on loop 31, either by engaging it manually or employing a pole with a hook on the end, serves to first withdraw nose 2! within frame [0 to the dotted position indicated in Fig. 1, after which further downward and outward movement serves to swing the transom to open position. When it is desired to shut the transom, the same loop may be employed as a handle and the engagement of nose 21 with keeper 46 will cam the nose against the compression of spring 44 into closed position within slot 46. Since cam is located forwardly of tongue 28', the operating lever will not restrict this rearward movement of the latch bolt when the catch is sprung into latching engagement.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. A spring catch comprising a sheet metal casing bent to form having spaced side walls interconnected by a top wall, a pair of lugs respectively extending inwardly towards each other from the bottom rearward portions of the side walls, said side walls being provided with correspondingly positioned grooves located forwardly of said lugs, a sheet metal latch bolt bent to shape slidably mounted in the casing between the side walls, an operating lever having a shaft portion journalled in said grooves, a plate overlying the grooves to secure the shaft in position, said plate engaging the lower edges of the side walls and having a reduced portion located between the latch bolt and said lugs, a tongue portion on the plate received in the latch bolt, a spring compressively engaged between the tongue and bolt to secure said parts in assembled postions, and means on the lever operatively engageable with the latch bolt.

2. A spring catch comprising a sheet metal casing bent to shape and having spaced side walls interconnected by a top wall, the bottom rearward portions of the side walls being bent over to provide a pair of opposed inwardly projecting lugs, said side walls having correspondingly located grooves adjacent to said lugs and open at their lower ends, a preformed sheet metal latch bolt slidably received in the casing, an operating lever having a shaft portion journalled in said grooves, a plate overlying said grooves to secure the lever in journalled position and having a reduced rearward portion received between the lugs and latch bolt, shoulders on the side walls limiting the forward movement of the plate, a tongue portion on the plate received in the latch bolt, a coiled spring compressively received within the latch bolt between the forward end of said bolt and said tongue portion of the plate to secure the parts in operative positions, and a cam on the shaft portion engageable with the latch bolt in opposed relation to the spring whereby an operative lever movement will draw said bolt in to the casing to an unlatching position.

3. A spring catch comprising a preformed sheet metal casing having parallel side walls interconnected by a top wall, the bottom rearward portions of the side walls being bent inwardly to provide opposed lugs, said side walls having open-ended correspondingly located grooves forwardly of said lugs, a preformed sheet metal latch bolt slidably mounted in the easing and having a forwardly extending nose portion, an operating lever journalled within the grooves, a plate overlying the bottom edges of said side walls forwardly of the grooves and closing the open ends of the grooves, said plate having a reduced portion received between the side walls and above the lugs, an upward projection at the forward end of the plate extending within the bolt, a coiled spring compressively engaged between the forward end of the bolt and said projection tomaintain the plate in position and urge the bolt to a latching position, and means on the lever engageable with the bolt in opposition to the spring to withdraw the nose of the bolt into the frame to an unlatching position.

4. A spring catch comprising a casing having a top guide wall, a latch bolt slidably mounted in the casing, operating means journalled in the casing having a cam portion operatively engaging said bolt to move said bolt out of latching position, resilient means positioned within the casing and having means operatively engaging said bolt normally tending to urge said bolt into latching position and into operative engagement with said cam portion, and means, positioned within the casing and loosely engaging said bolt and casing at spaced points, against which the other end of said resilient means abuts whereby a force is produced for maintaining said bolt in surface engagement with the top guide wall of the casing and the catch members in assembled position.

HORACE H. RAYMOND. 

